Homesteading, How-To's & Happiness

Tag: Homesteading

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Homesteading, anxiety and a simpler life, how do we deal with it?

A homesteaders way of life is often times referred to as the” simple life…” while that is true in some ways, it isn’t in others. It can also be a time for anxiety attacks.

When we first began homesteading (a few years ago) we were doing so on 1 main outside income…mine. While this was a good way for us to begin our journey to the life we envisioned, it was anything but simple or easy and often created a high level of anxiety. Anxiety can often create an enormous amount of pressure for the one working in the corporate world. You might be questioning yourself as to “why am I not helping out”, “why aren’t I getting done the things I need to” and so on.

There are many ways to combat those feelings and keep them under control here are a few that I find comfort in

Stop! Look around at the beauty that is all around you on your homestead. From the sunrise or sunset to the flowers, fields, gardens or trees and realize that the sacrifices you’re making now willbe worth it soon.

Tell yourselfevery day that this life is worth every struggle you may encounter, this job is only a brief stop in your journey to happiness.

Start a journal, sometimes simply writing down the things that cause anxious moments will help to keep the perspective of why these sacrifices are being made.

Have a spot where you can go on your homestead to meditate and find peace. That may be your flower garden, vegetable garden, on the porch in a swing, or even sitting on a stump as mom used to say :), you get the idea. Whatever and where ever works for you.

Most importantly…BREATHE!! Close your eyes and just breathe in and out deeply. And never forget what it’s all about and how happy it will make you. All the sacrifices, worries, sleepless nights that you encounter believe me will be worth it.

You have to have the mindset that homesteading is a lifestyle in and of its own. And with that lifestyles are struggles, anxious moments, sacrifices and worried sleepless nights. But, they can all be dealt with by reminding yourself daily what you are gaining. How happy the little accomplishments make you feel. And most of all by remembering to “never let weeds grow around your dreams.”

Does your money not quite reach the end of your month?

Do you find yourself struggling to get there?

There are many ways to stretch your dollars from using coupons to menu planning…..

When shopping for groceries or other essentials the first thing you need to do is make a list and stick to it! Also, look for items with a coupon on them or buy generic labels. Try using coupons, many places accept them and some will even double the amount listed!

– Buy in bulk when it’s on sale! Things like toilet tissue and paper towels are always good places to start. Try buying rice and beans to use as meal stretchers.

– Download an app for your phone such as Checkout51.com or iBotta.com which pays you to buy certain products by simply taking a picture of your receipt and sending it to them. (I personally love Checkout51 and it’s really easy to use too!) There’s also Befrugal.com and Swagbucks.com to name a few.

-After you have harvested, canned and frozen the things from your garden, take the excess and sell it to or trade it with your neighbors for something you didn’t grow. Try setting up a small stand and sell it IF your local ordinances allow it.

– Eat at home more often! It’s healthier and cheaper.

– Plan out your meals for the month this will help you to know what you need and don’t have on hand. I have a large monthly calendar that I write each day on and that way if something comes up and I need to switch to a quick meal idea I just simply switch the days on the calendar.

Lastly and most importantly…Don’t buy it if you don’t need it! Impulse buys are very costly to any budget!

Now then, you have a few ideas to help you to stretch your money a little farther. Buying in bulk, planning meals, growing your own food, and simply paying attention to where your money goes will help you to “stretch” it out!